The Life and Times of Iruka Sensei Santa Lives
by beyondthecrystalsea
Summary: It's Christmas in Konoha and seven year old Naruto has a problem. No one has told Iruka sensei that there is no Santa Claus. To what lengths will the boy go to protect his sensei. Part of the Life and Times series.


"Hokage sama, do you believe in Santa Claus?"

The Hokage looked up from his paperwork to find big blue eyes looking at him under bright blonde hair.

"Why do you ask, Naruto?" the older man hedged. He had ceased to be surprised at finding the boy in his office. He had lost count of the times the little bundle of energy had shown up right under the noses of his Anbu.

"Well Iruka sensei said he believes in Santa Claus. He says he still visits him at Christmas."

"Ah, I see." Sarutobi was not sure why the young teacher had told the boy that. Chances were it was a good reason and the older man was reluctant to contradict the young sensei. Even the Hokage was leery of the man's displeasure. The Hokage picked up the boy and sat him on his desk so they were at eye level.

"Does Santa still come to see you?" asked the puzzled child.

"No. I'm far too old for Santa to come to my house. He used to come see my boys." The old man told him.

"Your boys?" asked Naruto.

"You know Asuma sensei?" The young boy nodded.

"Asuma is one of my sons." The white haired man had a far off twinkle in his eye. "Yes indeed, Santa used to bring good toys to my boys."

"But Ojiisan, Asuma sensei's old." said Naruto with a frown.

"I guess he would seem so to you." said the old man with a slight chuckle.

"Santa Claus comes to the young at heart." the Hokage clarified for the boy. "That must be why he comes to Iruka sensei." The little blonde considered this.

"But Sarutobi sama, there is no Santa Claus." said the seven year old with a very solemn look on his face.

The older man gave a single nod. It was too bad, but the holder of the Kyuubi had learned early about the facts of the adult world. The Sandaime had tried to shield the child from the more harsh facts of life, but the fact remained that fantasies like Santa and the Tooth fairy had been lost to the child with no parents to make the fantasies come true. The older man watched the expressive face of the young blonde. He saw the blue eyes widen at the thought that Iruka sensei would learn there was no Santa.

"Hokage sama, can you get me some money?"

The man was puzzled. "What do you need money for Naruto?"

"I need to buy some presents." proclaimed the little boy; He had a very resolute look on his face.

"Hmm, I see." The man began to understand where the seven year olds mind was going. "Well the best way to get money is to earn it." said the grandfatherly man."How about, I give you a job."

"Wow, Ok." replied the boy.

"The windows here in the tower really need cleaned. I'll give you fifty cents for every one you wash." He saw the munchkin's face light up. "You come after school tomorrow and you can get started."

"Alright!" shouted the small bundle of energy. He hugged the old man, then jumped off the desk.

"I'll be here." He ran out of the office past the startled Anbu.

"Tiger" Sandaime called to his Anbu. "Could you come in please?" The figure under the porcelain mask entered the room. He hoped it wasn't about the demon boy. They tried to keep him out, really they did, but the kid was slipperier than an S class criminal.

"Yes Hokage?"

"Please summon Emi for me. Also inform the janitor that I need to talk to him."

"Hai"

The next day Naruto found the Hokage accompanied by Emi, one of his assistants. Naruto liked her she always had a smile for him.

"Emi will work with you Naruto. She can unlock doors and carry things for you."

Emi smiled at Naruto remembering her conversation with the Sandaime. It was sweet that the boy wanted to get Iruka sensei a present. It didn't hurt that the Hokage had given her the job as a B rank mission either.

The pair started at the top of the tower. Naruto had counted fifty windows in the Hokage tower. The youngster chatted to Emi about all he could do with the money as they collected their bucket and squeegee.

"I'll be rich you know." the child assured his friend, almost upsetting the bucket.

"You have to do the work first." The young woman reminded him. She smiled at his childishness.

Naruto and his chaperone entered the missions' room. It was still early and not many people were in the office. Naruto saw Iruka sensei talking to some of the other Chunin at the desk.

"Hello gentlemen." Emi smiled. "My accomplice and I will be washing your windows today." The men greeted the two before returning to work. Iruka was collating files, watching the little blonde out of the corner of his eye. He saw the Hokage's assistant set the ladder as the little boy carefully dipped his mop in the water. The intense look on the seven year olds face was extremely cute.

"So Naruto, what are you doing buddy?" asked Kotetsu, amazed that the Hokage was letting the boy near glass armed with a mop.

"I got a job."

Iruka looked up. "What do you need a job for Naruto? The boy gave his teacher a puzzled look.

"Well for money, of course." The look on his face said clearly that he felt a teacher should know these kinds of things. The teacher opened his mouth to ask why the seven year old needed money. As far as he knew the council paid the boys bills until he graduated from the academy. Emi caught his eye and gave a shake of her head. The Chunin dropped his questions for the time being.

Turning back to his desk he saw Izumo shove several reports in the wrong box. He took a scroll and smacked his friend on the head with it.

"Do it right." he admonished the other Chunin. "You're going to end up with coal in your stocking for sure this year."

Kotetsu laughed as his partner pulled the files back out of the box. Naruto's eyes widened. Coal in your stocking was the worst punishment he could think of. The Chunin must have done something really bad.

"What do you want in your stocking Iruka sensei?" the bright voice asked.

"Hmm..." Iruka considered his answer. He loved seeing his student's faces as he talked about Santa. It always amazed him that something so small could bring so much joy.

"I think I'll ask for chalk this year." he replied, his eyes twinkling.

"Chalk!" Naruto repeated dumbfounded.

"Maybe a new ruler." The teacher continued musing.

Kotetsu saw the twinkle in his friend's eyes and teased him. "Maybe some paperclips." "Do you think he's been good enough for paperclips, Naruto?" The two men turned to look at the boy, smirking at the look of horror on his face.

"Santa really brings you paperclips?" he asked in disbelief.

"Only when I've been very good." Iruka affirmed. The men grinned at the expression on the boy's face.

'There was something fundamentally wrong about getting paperclips for Christmas. It was a good thing he had this job.' thought Naruto. 'He would make sure Iruka sensei had something nice this year.'

"I thought you got a new ruler last year." Izumo teased his friend.

"I did." said the teacher dryly. "I broke it over Kiba's butt for practicing Dynamic Marking inside."

Emi shook her head at the men's antics. She motioned for Naruto to gather up his supplies to move to the next room.

The next day Iruka saw Naruto after school. "We're having shiriken practice. Want to join us?" he invited. Naruto looked after his friends wistfully but squared his shoulders.

"I have my job, Iruka sensei. I'll see you tomorrow." The little bundle of energy waved as he ran towards the tower. His teacher watched him go with a puzzled look.

After practice with the kids, Iruka made his way to the Sandaime's office. He was very fond of the older man and visited him often. Today however he had more on his mind than just a social call. He nodded to the two Anbu as he knocked on the office door.

"Iruka, come in" his mentor welcomed him. "What can I do for you today?" Iruka seated himself across from the Hokage as he poured two cups of tea for them.

"I was a little concerned about Naruto. I came to see how he was doing?"

"Ah Naruto. So far he's only broken two lamps and overturned his bucket twice. That's why I had Emi help him. The girl has the patience of a saint. She didn't even get flustered until he dumped the second bucket."

Iruka smirked. He could sympathize with the Hokage's assistant.

"That girl's worth her weight in gold, Iruka. You should ask her out." The grandfatherly man gave his young protégé a wicked grin.

"Find me someone who's not engaged already, Ojiisan." he replied in exasperation. "But really, why does Naruto need a job Sarutobi san?" the sensei asked in all seriousness. The Hokage smiled at the younger man's concern.

"He's got a project he's working on Iruka. Don't worry. He's got Emi to watch out for him. He'll be fine."

Iruka was leaving the missions' room the next day when he spied a short blonde heading down the stairs. He was soaked, obviously from his job. Iruka wondered idlely just how wet Emi had gotten.

"Hey Naruto, want to get some ramen with me?" The seven year old looked at him from under wet bangs.

"Sorry Iruka sensei, I think I'm just gonna go home." His little shoulders drooped in exhaustion as water pooled around his feet. Iruka patted him on the shoulder and watched him leave.

The teacher made his way to Ichiraku and ordered a steaming bowl of miso ramen. "I haven't seen Naruto in a couple days." said the owner. "He's not getting into trouble is he?" he asked the sensei.

"I'm not sure." replied the younger man. He couldn't get the dejected little figure out of his mind. The sensei came to a decision.

"Hey, I need to get this to go." he told the old man. "I'm going to need a pork ramen to go with it."

Iruka walked up the steps to Naruto's apartment with the takeout in his hand. He'd been to check on his student a few times and was familiar with his small apartment. A knock on the door was met by a small figure in kunai pajamas.

"Hey Iruka sensei, what are you doing here?" the boy was still wet but the teacher could smell soap so he knew he's showered. The clothes from earlier were on the floor where they'd been dropped.

"I didn't want to eat ramen by myself so I decided to come see you. Could you eat some ramen with me?" A grin flickered on the man's face at the excitement of the child.

"Sure Iruka sensei, what'd you bring me?" The brown haired man entered the kitchen to set down his bag. It looked about as he had expected, ramen cups littered the table and counter. The sink wasn't as full of dishes as he thought it might be, but on second glance he saw that the boy only had three plates and three cups.

"I have pork ramen for you if you help me clean off the table." he bribed the boy.

With yells of "ramen" "ramen" the child and teacher make quick work of cleaning the kitchen.

Seated at the table he watched the blonde boy enthusiastically slurp his noodles with a single minded determination.

"So what happened to make you so wet?" asked the Chunin curiously.

The boy blew a tuft of hair out of his eyes in exasperation. "I was working at my job."

"I thought Emi was helping you."

" Emi went to help the Hokage for a little bit." "I was trying to put the bucket at the top of the ladder so I could reach it easier." he said defensively. "I think something's wrong with that bucket sensei cause it fell down and hit me on the head." The teacher had to laugh at the puzzled look on the boy's face.

The man's face softened as he listened to the young boy. The child was excited to have his sensei's undivided attention and so he chatted nonstop through his dinner. The man listened intently for clues about the boy's project, asking pointed questions. Toward the end of the meal Iruka saw the child's head start to bob. The blue eyes were shadowed and weary. The boy had had a busy day and it was starting to show.

"Aren't you tired Naruto?"

"No sensei, I'm fine." The little blonde claimed as his eyelids sank lower. The sensei watched his student fall asleep in his chair. He picked the boy up and headed for his bed. He nestled the child among his blankets and watched the small chest rise and fall for a few minutes. It was good to know that all that energy eventually ran out.

Iruka left his student sleeping. He walked into the living room area to pick up the boy's wet clothes, along with the other clothes strewn about the place. He started a load of clothes in the washer tucked into the bathroom. He couldn't help but notice the worn state of his pants and the many times the socks had been darned. Some of the underpants had holes in odd places and the elastic separating from the waist band. He was starting to get mad. What was the council thinking? This was no way to take care of a child.

He entered the kitchen and ran warm water in the sink. The dishes were chipped in places. He found spoiled milk in the fridge and he had noticed that the boy was low on laundry detergent. He had never realized that the spunky little kid with the cheerful face was going through such hardship at home. No wonder the kid had a job.

He wiped down the table, moving a small snowman figure aside to get at a stain. That was another thing, he realized. There were very few Christmas decorations in the small apartment. He noticed a few paper snowflakes that they had made in class were hung in the window. His fridge sported a Christmas tree picture they had colored in class. The sensei sighed. He was familiar with the fate of orphans in Konoha. After all he was one himself. However he hated knowing that one of his kids was missing out on all the fun of the season.

He heard a noise and saw a little blonde figure shuffle out of the bedroom toward the bathroom. "Wow, Iruka sensei, you're still here." He said in surprise.

"I was just tidying up before I left." replied the man with a smile. "Are you going to put up a tree this year?" he asked to gauge the child's reaction.

"Oh yea,"said the child enthusiastically. "I always get one on Christmas Eve from the old man in the market. He gives away whatever's left." He shuffled the rest of the way into the bathroom and shut the door.

Iruka considered his words. Although he appreciated the kindness of the old man, he had seen the state of those trees after the whole village had picked them over. The door to the restroom opened and Naruto walked into the kitchen.

"Would you like to come with me on Saturday to cut a tree Naruto?" "I'm sure we could find a better one than in the market."

"Really?" Naruto exclaimed. "That would be awesome sensei. I've never done that before."

"Alright then," Iruka assured him. "You head back to bed for now but on Saturday we hunt for a tree." He ushered the boy to bed, tucking him in again. He missed the wide smile that settled on the face of the small boy as he drifted off to sleep.

Saturday found the teacher once again at his student's home. He saw that the munchkin was ready to go dressed warmly in his boots and cloak.

"Are you ready?" he asked the excited boy.

"Oh yes sensei" the child practically vibrated with suppressed energy.

"Let's head out then."

The two headed out the gates of the city and turned north into the forest beyond the Hokage Mountain. The little blonde kept up excited chatter the whole way, his boots crunching in the snow.

"What kind of tree are we going to get sensei? Have you done this before? How do you know it's a good tree?" Iruka laughed good naturedly at his questions.

"Watch and learn, Naruto. Watch and learn."

It wasn't long before they found a grove of spruce that Iruka had passed on his frequent hikes in the woods.

"What do you think Naruto? Would one of these make a good Christmas tree?"

"Believe it!" exclaimed the little boy. He scampered up to an eight foot tall tree and began to burrow under its branches. His teacher grabbed his foot and pulled him back out with a laugh.

"That tree's taller than I am kiddo. How are we going to get it back to the village?" He walked over to a well shaped four foot tree. "Now this one looks good."

Naruto walked around the tree, a very serious look on his face. He gave a short nod.

"I like it." He enthused. "What do we do next?"

Iruka pulled a saw out of his back pack to cut down the tree. Next he wrapped burlap around the branches. "Hand me that rope Naruto." In no time the two had the tree trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. The man wrapped the end of the rope around his waist. "Now we pull it back to town." The tree slid across the snow as the two walked. Iruka handed a bag to Naruto.

"Can you pick up some pinecones as we walk back?" The brown haired man laughed at the antics of the child as he collected more than just pinecones in his sack. The two made a lively pair as they entered the village gates. Naruto told anyone who would listen about his beautiful tree.

Back at Naruto's apartment, Iruka put the tree in a stand he had brought. He pulled it in front of the window as the blonde dumped his sack out on the table.

Iruka made hot chocolate and popcorn. He sat two bowls onto the table.

"This bowl is to eat, but this bowl is for the tree." He told his young charge.

"Why does the tree need popcorn?" asked the child. Iruka patiently showed the boy how to string the corn to make a garland for his tree. The first bowl was quickly gone and the sensei had to smack his student's hand to keep him from eating the second. The child's attention soon wandered, so Iruka had him tie red bows on the pinecones he had found. Naruto hadn't stopped at pinecones; he tied bows on thistles and holly he had found too. His greatest treasure was a bird's nest that the two decided to use as the topper for the tree. Next they cut out paper snowflakes to hang on the tree also. Naruto was ecstatic and Iruka admitted that he was quite pleased with the small tree.

"Sensei, this is the most beautiful tree I ever had." the boy said in a hushed voice. The little blonde sat before his tree with his big blue eyes trained on it.

It was starting to get late so Iruka made dinner for the two of them. He was pleased to notice that the boy's groceries had been replaced. The Chunin had cornered the Hokage in the missions' room and taken him to task about the lack of food in the child's apartment. He made a spicy curry over rice and made sure that the boy would have leftovers to last for a couple of days.

"Wow, sensei, you're a good cook." said the little fox as he wolfed down his food. The sensei was touched at how pathetically easy it was to please the child. He was so appreciative of any kindness that he was shown. If only the villagers could see Naruto the way he did. An idea began to take shaped in the scarred man's mind. He would make sure the little blonde had something to appreciate on Christmas day. He began to plot ways to help the child.

Monday afternoon found both sensei and student in the Hokage tower.

"Hey Iruka sensei, what are you up to?" asked the child.

"I decided to get a job like you did." replied his teacher.

"I thought you worked at the school." said Naruto as he scratched his head. He was clearly confused.

The sensei just ruffled the blonde head and entered the missions' room leaving the Kyuubi as confused as before.

Iruka read the mission instructions on his scroll. He had taken a few missions to help fund his own 'project'. So far it had been nothing more strenuous than decorating for an old couple who were unable to do the work themselves. He was killing two birds with one stone as the saying goes and spreading a little Christmas cheer.

After spending time with Naruto, he had had the idea to be a Secret Santa for the boy. He couldn't help smiling at the thought of the smile on the chibi's face. After careful consideration he had come up with a list. Once he completed this last mission he would have enough money to go shopping after school the next day.

Naruto and Emi finished cleaning the last window. It was two days before Christmas and Naruto was excited. Tomorrow after school the Hokage would pay him for his work and he and Emi were going shopping.

"Well done." The Hokage praised the boy. "You did all your work and now you get your money." He handed an envelope to the boy. The child's eyes shone at the Hokage's words of praise. Emi smiled at the boy's excitement.

"How bout I hold that for you Naruto." The woman suggested. The child handed over the money reluctantly and the pair set off for the store.

"What shall we get first, Naruto-kun?" she asked the boy.

"Paperclips!" said the child emphatically. "Iruka sensei has been very good this year." The dark eyed woman laughed as the pair set off for the office supply store.

They exited the store with a full bag of supplies including but not limited to; a ruler, chalk, paperclips, pencils and red marking pens. Emi had suggested the red pens. Naruto had agreed, he knew Iruka sensei loved to mark all over Naruto's paper with those pens.

"Where too next?" The Hokage's assistant was having fun watching the little blonde use his hard earned money.

"The supermarket." said the child decisively. Naruto had noticed that Iruka sensei's mug at school was chipped. Emi led him to the house wares department. After careful consideration Naruto chose a mug with an ocean scene on it. A dolphin jumping out of the water graced the front of it and the blue eyes danced when he noticed it.

"I think I heard Iruka sensei mention that he likes the ocean. I think he'll like it."

"I think he will too, Naruto" Emi agreed. "What if we get him something to put in his mug?" The woman led him to the grocery section.

"Hot chocolate! That's what Iruka would like." The little blonde pondered the pros and cons of marshmallows and dark chocolate. After making a decision, Emi led him to the coffee.

"I think Iruka sensei would really like some coffee." She recommended thinking of the times she had seen the man with a steaming mug of it.

"Ok," the child hesitantly agreed, "but then we head for the toys."

In another part of the store a suntanned man with spiky brown hair was leaving the toy isle heading for the clothing department. He entirely missed the little blonde boy and his escort in his concentration on his task.

Both student and teacher spent the next two days in anticipation of Christmas and the opportunity to deliver their gifts. Once again the Hokage looked up from his paperwork to see bright blue eyes watching him.

"Hello, Naruto. Are you all ready for Christmas?"

"Yes Ojiisan. I got Iruka sensei everything on his list."

"Did you get anything for yourself" asked the grandfatherly figure.

"No" replied the blonde with a puzzled look on his face. "The presents were for Iruka sensei."

The Hokage regarded the little blonde. How many people in his village would be so selfless in their giving? The boy might contain a demon but he more closely resembled an angel in the old man's eyes.

"You're a sweet boy Naruto-kun." He patted the boy's head and the small body glowed at the man's praise.

Finally it was Christmas. All the boys and girls of the Hidden Leaf village were tucked in bed awaiting the arrival of a jolly old elf in a red suit, all but one mischievous little blonde who was wearing a red shirt under his orange and blue jacket. He had a Santa hat on his head, covering blonde curls. The white pompom on the end kept hitting him on the face as he dragged his bag of goodies into Iruka sensei's living room.

Iruka slept peacefully in the next room. He had had a hectic few days and was enjoying the thought of sleeping in the next day. Moonlight fell across his scarred face and illuminated the serene setting. Gradually the sensei became aware of an unusual chakra signature in the next room. The ninja came awake, kunai in hand and all senses at alert. He stealthily climbed out of bed, not making a sound as he crept out the door into the hallway. He recognized the noises as coming from his living room and peered around the corner ready to pounce. He was flabbergasted to see a small blonde child busily filling a stocking. The boy wore a Santa hat and was surrounded by packages. Iruka was astounded. He knew Naruto had a reputation for getting into places, but the traps on the teacher's house were Jounin level and above. He had learned them from Sarutobi himself. There was no way a seven year old boy could have found his way in. Unless…

Iruka returned to his room, careful not to disturb the child. He scanned the area outside his window. Yes, there, he saw the glow of a pipe out under the tree beside his house. He slid out the window to his mentor.

"What gives?"he asked the older man.

"Naruto's been worried about you." the Hokage answered, "He heard you talking about Santa Claus and was afraid you'd be disappointed if he didn't come."

"What?" Iruka was at a total loss.

"You see, Naruto knows there is no Santa. He has no one to who cares if he's been naughty or nice. He knows the pain of being left out at Christmas, and he didn't want you to feel that pain too." "That's why he wanted the job. He's been planning this for quite a while." He gave the younger man a bittersweet smile.

"I'm glad you took him to get his tree. He's been so excited that he's told me all about it." "You always did know how to have fun at Christmas." The Hokage looked up to see a blonde head peering out of Iuka's front door.

"You'd better get back. We don't want to ruin the surprise that the chibi's worked so hard to provide."

Iruka nodded and whisked himself back to his bedroom window. He entered his home and waited until he could no longer feel either of their chakra signatures.

He walked into his living room to find a stocking lying on his chair. Inside it he found paperclips, pens, even the ruler he had mentioned. He had no idea the child was listening so well. Beside the stocking he saw his mug. He grinned at the ocean scene on the side. He lifted the bag of coffee and inhaled the heady aroma. Next to the mug was the only childish item included. It was a small stuffed fox. Its hair was a golden blonde and its eyes were a deep cerulean blue its jaws were drawn back in a jolly foxy grin and it had three whiskers on each cheek. Iruka felt a small chuckle rumble in his chest. It was hard to let it out past the lump in his throat. He passed a hand over the tears in his eyes as he thought of all the things the child needed to spend his money on. The boy had so many things he needed himself but he was worried about Iruka. It took a small blonde child in a red Santa hat to show the true meaning of Christmas.

The teacher had meant to give Naruto his gifts the next day but he changed his mind. He walked into the bedroom and threw on his clothes. He went to his closet and fished out the gifts he had purchased. The last thing he did was fill a small plate with cookies and attach a note.

The ninja carefully gathered his supplies and once again exited his bedroom window. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop as he made his way to the other side of town. He was not surprised to find his 'Secret Santa' already asleep by the time he got there. He made sure the boy was really asleep before setting to work. He took out a stocking and filled it with the candy he had brought. He stuck an apple in the toe so at least one thing would be healthy. He added Santa pencils and a pair of chopsticks. Beside that he set out the new underwear and socks. In a wrapped box was a new set of clothes, one size bigger. The man had had to look every where to find an orange outfit. Under the tree was a large blue dolphin. He hoped it didn't give the surprise away, but he bought it before he knew that 'Santa' would be giving it. A new tool kit and a few other toys graced the area. He was pleased with all he had been able to buy with his mission money.

The last thing he did before leaving was leave a plate of cookies on the table with a note. It read;

**Naruto, I'm sorry it took me so long to find you. I appreciate your help in watching over Iruka sensei. You looked after a fellow shinobi and that makes you a great ninja. You showed selfless devotion in giving and that makes you a very good boy. You truly have the spirit of Christmas in your heart. Thank you. Love, Santa**


End file.
